Conga Drums
by BandLoser
Summary: An 11th grade girl attempts to survive High School while trying to become visable to her peers, and to her crush Jason. Will she steal his heart?
1. An Overview of My Life

The boy of my dreams. Hmmm. Not a tough question. He'd have to be taller then me, mainly because I'm already a shrimp. He'd have brown hair, wait…blond hair. Yeah, a blond with possibly some brown highlights, all natural of course. He'd have green or blue eyes that sparkle in the sun. He'd be toned, defiantly. Possibly a year older then me.

And as for his rebel side, pierced ears. But they'd have little studs in them that would be hidden behind his shaggy hair. He'd wear skater clothes and surfer brand stuff. He'd be a pro at all sports.

The bad part about my perfect guy…his name is Jason Oaks and he's a grade above me. Of course, every time I see him my knees get weak and I can't help but look like a complete goof. That means he probably thinks I'm a dork. Great. He can join the club.

**Conga Drums**

**Chapter 1 - An Overview of My Life**

It was a sunny afternoon. The clouds were lazily floating around the sky, and the cold winter breeze was blowing fierce. Why can't winters in Florida be like they were up north. Snowy, and white instead of were you could go without a jacket and still be fine all day. You know what I think? Winter sucks.

My name? My name is Candy Summers. I hear all the time that it's a cool name, but that doesn't help me get any more popular. My name doesn't even fit me. My name belongs to some head cheerleader, instead…it belongs to an 11th grade dork that was on the math team. That's right, was. I _was_ on the school math team, but I'm trying to popular here. It's still not working but, whatever.

It's the middle of the school year and band season. So far our top ranking high school band has had 12 concerts. That sounds like a lot, but we've got a reputation to uphold. Our director, Miss Veronica, is the best. She's funny and always cracking us up. But, she's retiring soon. And our 25 year winning streak is about to end. This is her last year. But she is like in her 70s. I guess it is time for her to get away from high school. It's holding her back.

I walked into the band room with my best friend in the whole world. Her name is Samantha, but I just call her Sam like everyone else.

"Me and Dune are going to the movies this Friday, wanna come?" Sam asked me as we found our seats in the giant band room that had over 100 seats in a horseshoe formation around the conductors podium.

"Sam, for the thousandth time, stop asking me to on dates with you and Duke." I whispered back. She always invited me to go on her dates with her so I wouldn't feel left out, but I always declined. I mean, third wheel to the extreme!

"His name is Dune not Duke." She corrected while pulling out her band folder.

"That's what he wants you to think." I teased back.

After we put our folders on our stand that we share, we took off to get our instruments out of the lockers that surrounded that walls of the room. They weren't really lockers, more like cages with our names on them.

We both play clarinet. The good part about this is that I'm not too close to Jason Oaks. He plays percussion and is in the back of the room. Phew!

I absentmindedly glanced over at him while he was bending over to retrieve to mallets the had fallen on the ground. God he had a cute butt.

"Candy has a crush! Candy has a crush!" Sam whisper-teased.

"Stop!" I whisper-laughed back.

We returned to our seats as the tardy bell rang. And as it rang, the doors burst open and in ran the class clown. He was wearing an oversized hat and those baggy jeans. He was holding onto the waistband of them as he ran into the room so they wouldn't fall off. A hilarious event to watch.

"Safe!" Miss Veronica exclaimed with what would be a surprising amount of energy if we weren't all used to it by now. She always had energy during class. Even though she had already outlived over 89 of her past students.

"Yes!" Kevin Green laughed as her jogged over to his band locker and pulled out his shiny trumpet. He galloped over to his seat, thankful that he wasn't tardy. He removed his hat immediately and began to tune his trumpet with the rest of the trumpet players.

He was different for sure. Always getting a laugh out of everybody. Showing up barely on time. It surprises me that he's first chair, but once you've heard him play a solo in one of our songs, you're hooked. He's an extraordinary trumpet player.

Even though Kevin had just stolen two minutes of my attention, my mind still lingered on Jason. I turned to see him staring at someone in the front rows. I turned to look at what he was so interested in.

He had been gazing at Lauren Potz. That isn't how you spell her last name, but its like French and I wouldn't even try to spell it. But that's how you pronounce it. Potz.

She was winking at him. Making him give off an adorably, enviable smile.

Sam elbowed me in the side, and I turned to see Miss Veronica raising her piton. Here we go again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 - **

I'm trying to sulk the best I can, but something about Sam keeps my spirits up. It's kind of funny. Like when she walks into a room, it gets brighter. Or if I'm feeling really down, she knows exactly how to cheer me up, without saying a single word! She's a magician, I swear.

"So, what are we eating today?" She said in an almost preppy voice.

"Don't care." I muttered as I plopped my head down on my elbows that rested on the table.

"I'm thinking we split something. You?" She asked as if she never heard me.

"Don't care." I repeated, a little bit louder, but still barely heard.

She let out a sigh. "Whatever." She through in.

After a moment of silent sulking, I raised my head and instantly the object of my desire caught my eye.

"Oh my god." I quickly said, staring at him from the booth that was conveniently placed in the back.

Sam craned her head around to see what I was staring at.

She turned back towards me with a big smile on her face.

I continued to stare at him. He was sitting at a booth on the other side of the Diner, surrounded by friends. Most of them were seniors like him. But one or two were in my own grade.

"Wood is there" I commented, not taking my eyes off that booth.

"What's he wearing?" Sam asked, a dreamily glaze was cast over her eyes.

"Blue shirt, black pants, and an attitude the size of Jupiter." I answered, both of us began laughing. Cole Wood was Sam's crush. He was one of Jason's friends, a senior. They both ruled the 12th grade, with the help of the rest of their popular friends.

I sighed and finally pried my eyes away from his charming, movie-star good looks.

My attention, unfortunately, was stolen by someone else only seconds later.

Kevin Green and his partner in crime, Joey Nicks, stopped at their booth.

"Hey Sam." Joey said in what should have been a charming voice, but it came out squeaky and annoying just like always. Joey was a small guy, even my shrimpy self was taller then him.

"Hey Joey." Sam politely replied, she had no interest in Joey, but she had mentioned him asking her out once to me, she said that she had considered it, but turned him down. I don't think I cared enough to ask why at the time.

I couldn't help but feel like a pair of eyes were on me. When I mustered up enough courage to glance over at Kevin, sure enough I locked eyes with his light blue ones. He immediately looked away, over at the juke box, out the window, anywhere but at me.

Kevin was a strange boy. He could be loud and obnoxious, yet…he could be thoughtful and quiet. It was like he had split personalities.

I just now realized, that I've never really taken the time to see just how good looking Kevin was. He had the shaggy skater hair, and it was completely blond. It was shorter then Jason Oak's, but it still looked…better. How could I even say that? I've been obsessing over Jason's hair for years, but I'm just now finding better hair, Kevin's hair, that's been right under my nose this whole time? I'm not making any sense.

"So, want to go hang out at the skate park with us?" Joey asked Sam.

She looked over at me, she must have thought that I was dreamily staring at Kevin, because she said yes. But I wasn't! I just…had something in my eye?

"So you like Kevin now?" She asked on our way to the skate park in her beat-up car.

"No! Just because I was staring doesn't mean anything." I replied, already tired of the questions.

"Whatever you say." She added before we turned into the parking lot.

The afternoon was going to be a long one, that was certain.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3-

My life sucks. I feel guilty for having a good time at the skate park with Sam, Joey, and Kevin. I feel this way because I'm not obsessing over my future husband, Jason.

But what I find odd, I don't feel going and sitting in a corner all by myself to think about how stupid the world is. I'm actually having a good time. My life sucks.

"No way, that's like so not how it went." Joey protested to Sam. They were laughing, giggling, and talking about some movie they'd both seen.

"Is too! I'm positive." Sam confirmed.

"Ahhhhh!" They all turned to see Kevin fall off his board as he attempted to a trick in the air off one of those half pipe things.

Joey began laughing and pointed at Kevin, who was laughing too? Boys are idiots.

Kevin limped over to them, unclipping his helmet that was covered in stickers, and placing it down on a bench. The bench that Sam and I occupied.

He set down his skateboard and sat down in-between me and Sam. What was he thinking?

Sam immediately most of thought that we should be alone, because she stood up and muttered something about the bathroom before scurrying off to somewhere out of sight.

I sat there, watching Joey ride off towards a bunch of skater obstacle things that you do tricks on, more like death traps though.

"Have you seen the way Joey acts around Sam?" Kevin asked, he did it so casually that I wanted to hurt him.

"Yeah." I dully replied.

"He's got like, a humongous crush on her." He continued.

"I know." I duly replied. Again.

"Oh, well did you hear about that awesome quake in lower Cali the other day?" He asked, a smile covering his face.

"Yeah, news." I replied, staring aimlessly off into the park.

"Oh, okay. Did you see that movie Sam and Joey were talking about?" He asked, his voice sounding desperate.

"No." I replied, a scowl almost visible in my tone.

"Me either, I've been wanting to go see it." He, once again, kept talking.

"Okay." I murmured.

"Um…" He seemed distracted or something, so kept to myself while he thought about something other than me. Hopefully it wasn't me. I pray it wasn't.

He opened his mouth to say something, when a mob of boys walked into the skate park. My gaze instantly went straight to Jason Oak's body. He was wearing a blue shirt.

Kevin caught my sudden interest in something, he turned to see what I was looking at. Once he saw Jason and Cole, and all the other hot seniors, he closed his mouth. Disappointment all over his face.

Sam hurried over to were I was.

She tugged on my sleeve, and I stood. She pulled me over to a corner far away.

"Did you say yes?" She asked, excitement all over her face.

"Yes to what?" I asked, my tone showing that I didn't care.

"Oh, nothing." She replied.

"Jason's here, so is Wood." She said changing the subject. We both turned to watch the hot guys walk into the park.

"Jason." I sighed. "He's a hottie with a body." I added, smiling at my rhyme.

"You can say that again." Sam agreed.

"And Cole is looking good today, too." I commented.

"And so is Paul, and Jerry…and Adam…and Jimmy…and his twin Timmy…their brother Jeff…oh, and so is…Rodriguez." She said 'Rodriguez' with a Spanish accent. It made him sound and look hotter when you do that to his name.

We both gazed at the hot guys. How could they physically get that attractive? God must be mocking me or something. My life sucks. That's going to be my new motto. My life…is anything but awesome.


End file.
